Business Applications
Dynamics 365
But not as you know it.
Dynamics 365 is widely known as CRM software but there is a lot more to it than that. Microsoft's own Dynamics applications are built on an underlying business platform called Dataverse, which holds the data and runs the processes for all of them, with enterprise-grade security and real scale.
We build on that same Microsoft-governed platform, in just the same way Microsoft does. A project might start from the familiar sales applications or be entirely bespoke and a typical solution blends the two.
Much of what we build over Dynamics has no Sales CRM in it at all.
When Sales CRM is the right place to start
Sales are the lifeblood of most businesses and every business has a sales process, even the ones that do not realise it. Many of our engagements begin there and we have delivered sales-led CRM many times.
CRM means different things to different organisations and where it starts and ends can vary a great deal. For one business it is pipeline and forecasting; for another it covers everything from first enquiry to final invoice. We build to whatever definition fits you. After the sale comes fulfilment, whatever form that takes for you, be it goods, services or construction and almost every CRM we have built has expanded to cover it over time. We expect that growth and design for it from day one.
Need a working system quickly? Our QuickStart offer gets sales-led CRM live in weeks, then grows with you as fulfilment and the rest of the process follow.
What we build
We design and build bespoke applications for the processes a standard CRM does not touch. Typical examples:
Bid and work-winning
Pulls a proposal together from many contributors, in one place.
Case management
From intake through to resolution, with nothing lost in between.
Resourcing and scheduling
People, kit and time, planned and visible in one place.
Compliance and approvals
Approval and quality workflows with a full audit trail.
Order, stock and fulfilment
The operational processes a standard CRM never reaches.
Portals
Secure access for customers, suppliers and teams in the field.
We have built these for professional services, healthcare and logistics organisations amongst many others. Bespoke, here, means the functionality not the underlying software. We are not standing up servers or databases or building security from scratch, because the Dynamics platform already provides all of that, maintained by Microsoft. Our time goes into how the application works for your business and delivers your processes, with the data in one secure, governed place and the screens shaped around the way you work.
Most businesses also run systems outside Microsoft, so we routinely integrate with finance, HR and sector-specific platforms too.
Built around the process,
not the records
A standard out-of-the-box Dynamics solution at it's heart gives you a grid of rows, a record behind each one and navigation in between. That works well when looking things up, but it makes running your business processes hard work. Our applications are defined by the process itself, tracking what each step in the workflow needs, wherever that information lives.
Like every Dynamics partner, we can deliver a tailored experience by configuring the advanced features of the platform. For most partners that is the whole service. For us it is the starting point. We want two things from every solution: innovation in the way the work flows and excellence in the way the system functions.
Plenty of integrators deliver Dynamics 365.
They do not deliver it like we do.
The interface people actually use
Power Automate gives a solution reach beyond the platform. We use it to send emails and texts, generate Word documents and connect to SharePoint, Azure and the wider Microsoft ecosystem through managed connectors, instead of writing and maintaining custom integration code. Documents live in SharePoint, where the whole business can find them, not just CRM users.
Where the standard screens are not fit for their intended purpose and would slow a team down, we build unique web applications on the same foundation, but built to the needs defined by your business processes:
Field Visit Scheduling
Automate scheduling based on availability criteria like location, accreditation and travel time.
Clinical assessments
Work through a task without wading through the records beneath it.
Warehouse team
Scan, move and label stock through an interface made for the factory floor.
Each works with the same underlying data and security, presented in a way that suits the job. It is a large part of why our systems get used. Poor adoption is the most common reason technology projects fall short and it is far less of a risk when the application was designed around its users.
We practice what we preach
Circyl runs on the same platform we build for clients. Our pipeline, project tracking, time recording and customer acceptance all sit in Dynamics, so when we recommend an approach, it is one we use in anger every day.
Years of that day-to-day use have taught us where the platform shines and where it does not and we will tell you which is which.
Sound familiar?
We tend to be the right call when:
In spreadsheets and inboxes
A critical process lives in spreadsheets, inboxes or someone's head.
Re-keyed by hand
Information is re-keyed between systems that do not talk to each other.
Nobody loves it
Dynamics 365 is already in place, but nobody loves using it.
Outgrown its design
A Power Apps solution has grown well beyond its original design.
Access for outsiders
Customers or suppliers need secure access to part of your process.
Some of these have names. If one is hitting home, this is where it leads:
Excel Hell
Business-critical work is trapped in spreadsheets that long ago outgrew the job.
See the pain →Swivel Chair Syndrome
People re-key the same data between systems that will not talk to each other.
See the pain →Platform Pain
A platform is already in place, but it fights your team instead of helping them.
See the pain →It rarely stops at Dynamics
A real solution usually pulls in more than one of our skills. We will not steer you towards one product over another, we build what the process needs.
Apps and automation
Power Platform
The low-code layer that connects your systems and removes the manual work.
Explore →Bespoke development
Custom Applications
For when nothing off-the-shelf fits how your people really work.
Explore →Data and analytics
Data Consultancy
Getting the data out of the platform and into decisions.
Explore →We have done this before, see what our clients say
Read the latest thoughts from our team
Start with a conversation
You do not need to arrive with a product in mind. Tell us about the process you want to improve and the outcome you need. If it can be described clearly, we can usually build it and we will not steer you towards one product over another.
Book a Call
Or call 03333 209 969 · enquiries@circyl.co.uk